Every murder costs the nation £3.2million, research shows

Every murder in England and Wales costs society a staggering £3.2million, a new report has found.

Fresh research by the Home Office revealed the figure was almost double the £1.7million cost per killing in 2010-11.

It reflected an increase in inflation and better methodology to assess the physical and emotional implications of homicide, said Whitehall sources. In 2015-16 there were 572 recorded – totalling £1.8billlion.

The figures make bleak reading for when calculations are done for 2017-18, amid public horror over bloodshed on our streets and the number of killings jumping to 701.

Every murder in England and Wales costs society a staggering £3.2million, a new report has found

For the first time, officials had calculated the unit cost of rape, which was £39,360, meaning it was the crime against the individual with the second greatest economic and social cost.

It was followed by violence with injury (£14,050), robbery (£11,320) and vehicle theft (£10,290).

In total, the cost of crime in the country in 2015-16 was estimated to be around £50billion against individuals and £9million against businesses.

Violent crimes make up the largest proportion of the total costs of individual offences – almost three-quarters, or around £35billion – but only one-third of the number of crimes. In the year to March 2016, the Crime Survey for England and Wales measured 6.3million offences.

Experts compile the report, The Economic And Social Costs Of Crime, annually in a bid to calculate the impact of crime on society.

Costs are calculated in three categories: those spent in the ‘anticipation’ of crime, such as burglar alarms, CCTV equipment and anti-theft car devices; those spent as a ‘consequence’ of crime, such as stolen property, physical and emotional harm to victims, time off work and healthcare costs; and those spent in ‘response’ to crime, such as police investigations and court costs.

Fresh research by the Home Office revealed the figure was almost double the £1.7million cost per killing in 2010-11

Fresh research by the Home Office revealed the figure was almost double the £1.7million cost per killing in 2010-11

Estimated costs of crime against individuals – excluding fraud and cyber-crime, because no data was available – have fallen from £75billion in 2004-05 to £44bn. The report says that was ‘a result of the large fall in the number of crimes’.

The figures do not use the number of crime reported to police because not all of those turn out to be offences.

Alex Mayes, of the independent charity Victim Support said: ‘This report lays bare the astronomical cost of crime, not just to the victims but to society as a whole. While the emotional cost of these tragedies are incalculable, the economic costs of the recent rises in homicide are particularly startling.

‘Given the huge scale of crime we believe that it is vital that victim services funding is ring-fenced to ensure that the millions of victims of crime each year are able to access the support they need no matter where they live.’ 



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